It was my birthday and we had the tickets booked…Aladdin at the West End. To say I was excited was an understatement. The only thing to make it even better was to make a weekend of it. But staying in London is too pricey right? Wrong!  Because we decided to forgo a hotel for a weekend glamping near London, staying in an Airstream caravan.

Where we stayed?

I had a staff discount as I work for the Caravan and Motorhome Club where the Airstreams are sited at their Abbey Wood Club Site through Experience Freedom. However, even without the discount the 2 nights away was surprisingly reasonable for such an iconic type of accommodation at a lovely site in close proximately to London.  

To find out more about the Airstream caravans at Abbey Wood Club Site read my blog post Airstream Caravan Holiday in the UK.

We arrived on a wet rainy Friday afternoon. It always rains when we go caravanning! After admiring our beautiful Airstream caravan, which was all set up and ready for us, we waited for the rain to ease off. We were super cosy in the Airstream. It has all mod cons, but as the sun eventually decided to make an appearance we decided to head over to Greenwich.

Greenwich

We took the bus, but actually if I stayed again I would use the train. The bus journey took a quite a while as there were a lot of stops on the route but the train is a quick and direct link into Greenwich.

Top 5 things to do in Greenwich

• Go on board the Cutty Sark. The last remaining tea clipper and once one of the fastest ships on the seas. The Cutty Sark is open for visitors to explore the ship and meet the crew.

• Learn at the Royal Observatory. Established in 1675 by Charles II to study the stars and improve navigation at sea, you can see the clocks that John Harrison developed to solve the problem of longitude as well as stand on the Meridian Line with one foot in the East and one foot in the West. A must for any kids who love geography, history or science.   

• Explore space at the Peter Harrison Planetarium. There are different shows on each day and it’s the perfect opportunity to discover more about space. 

• Go shopping at Greenwich Market where you will find arts and crafts, vintage clothes, antiques and street food.

• Play at Greenwich Park. From Roman remains, a deer park (deer were introduced to the park by Henry VIII) to a massive children’s playground and boating lake, not to mention the stunning view from top of the hill looking back at the Docklands, the City and the Centre of London.

After having a wander around Greenwich we went for an early evening meal at ZiZi’s. We were lucky enough to get a Thames side table with view of the river. Our server couldn’t be more helpful. Sam loved the children’s colouring activity sheet, the food was delicious and the kids menu was great.

After our meal we jumped on the train back to Abbey Wood for a cosy night in the Airstream. We converted the lounge area into a bed for Sam and then me and Mark sat outside for a cheeky glass of wine whilst Sam slept. It was the strangest feeling, looking up at the beautiful trees, feeling like you are in the middle of the countryside but with the sounds of the city not too far away. As it started to rain again we had an early night ready for our big day out in London.

Our London adventure

We woke up to the sound of yet more rain on the Airstream Caravan roof…it was July what was going on? Thankfully by the time we had breakfast in the Airstream, showered for the day in the small but surprisingly well equipped Airstream bathroom, and were ready to go, the sun was trying to come out. It looked like it might even be a nice day!

We were back on the train to Greenwich where we decided to walk to the dock and get the TFL river boat into the Centre of London, meaning we didn’t have to do the tubes and we could enjoy some stunning views of London from the Thames.

The boat takes you past some amazing sites including Canary Wharf, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Tower of London, the Shard, the Tate Modern and under the iconic Tower Bridge and London Bridge. Sam had great fun singing London Bridge is falling down. He couldn’t quite believe he was going under the actual bridge from the song (which thankfully hadn’t fallen down)!

We got off at Westminster and started to walk in the direction of the theatre, going past Downing Street and some other interesting sites along the way.

We had lunch reservations at Frankie and Bennys. As Sam only has little legs and we didn’t have the buggy we flagged down a London black cab. One of the many things I love about London is the London cab drivers. They are always so friendly, helpful and full of useful information. Our driver was no exception. He cheerfully chatted to us all the way, before dropping us off right outside the restaurant. I had used a Groupon deal and was amazed this worked in a Central London branch on a Saturday – bargain and again helped to make our trip affordable.

We had another delicious and child friendly meal. Sam couldn’t believe his luck when his dessert came out and I wondered how we would ever get to keep him still in the theatre after that much sugar from his oreo cheescake!   

The Prince Edward Theatre

The Prince Edward Theatre was only a short walk from the restaurant. We wanted to watch Aladdin as Sam loves Disney, plus I had also heard this was the last year it was on at the theatre.

The show didn’t disappoint. It was spectacular. The much loved songs were performed magnificently and it had all the magic you would expect from a West End Show. We were up in the Gods and my only complaint was that it was very hot in the theatre. I suppose this can’t be helped though with all the bright lights and large audience on a summers day!

Sam thoroughly enjoyed the show but did get a little restless at the end. It’s a long show for a three year old, even an Aladdin obsessed three year old whose favourite song is ‘a whole new world’. He did really well though.

After the show we left the theatre and stepped into sunshine! The rain clouds had completely cleared and it had turned into a lovely sunny late afternoon. The city was beginning to fill with partygoers out for the evening so we made our way to the Thames where we took the TFL river boat back to Greenwich so we could chill out and enjoy Abbey Wood Club Site for the evening.

BBQ Time at Abbey Wood Club Site

As the Aistream has a large fridge and freezer we had brought with us some BBQ food and a bottle of champagne to celebrate my birthday. So back on our lovely pitch, the sun was still shining and it was BBQ time!

Each Airstream pitch has a BBQ station and a disposable BBQ had been left in the Airstream for us to use during our stay. As such so it would be rude not to have a BBQ. The nachos came out, we made a big salad and we had sausages and halloumi on the grill.

Sam loved being outdoors. I took him for a walk around the site, stopping to chat to the friendly site staff on the way. We also went and played in the park for half an hour. This for me was so much better than being in a hotel. It gave us so much freedom and opportunity to be outside enjoying the fresh air together. We watched squirrels, looked at the kites flying from some of the caravans and collected leafs, chestnuts and acorns.

Back to the pitch for the pop of champagne and our BBQ. The food was delicious, there’s something about eating outdoors that makes me really hungry and also makes everything taste amazing.

Cosy evening in Abby Wood

Next it was time for Sam’s bedtime. He was cosy under the warm duvet and had a bedtime story before he eventually fell asleep. I slipped back outside and joined Mark, drinking the champers and watching the stars. I kept the Airstream door open ajar as it was a mild night and I could keep an eye on Sam sleeping. The perfect end to the perfect day.

Family days out in London

There’s so much to do in London as a family. As I’ve already mentioned you have the theatre, you have the fascinating history and culture and you have the beautiful City to explore. There are also some amazing fun activities to enjoy. Here are two great new attractions in London:

Hobbledown Health

Hobbledown Heath is set to be a family favourite for anyone visiting London this year. Home to 70 unique and fascinating farm and zoo animals, from playful Pygmy Goats to mischievous Meerkats, as well as a specialist Bird of Prey centre, visitors will get the chance to meet the new furry residents of Hounslow through interactive experience sessions.

The land of Hobbledown Heath sits in the guise of three villages and an enchanting woodland. Visitors will get the chance to climb 15-metre wooden towers, explore a labyrinth of underground tunnels, scale aerial walkways, discover secret passages, and dart through water sensors… and that’s just the beginning!  Tickets are now available to purchase here, starting from £15 per person.

Gripped

Gripped is an adrenaline-fuelled aerial attraction and the first of its kind in the UK.  From exploring the treetops and enjoying sky-high views on one of two high rope trail courses to two 50-metre-long and 20-metre-high speed and spiral slides. This is new to London and ideal for children and adults (min height 1.3m+) who will have so much fun navigating the series of trails, tunnels, jumps, slides and much more!  Tickets and bundles are now available to purchase here

Glamping near London: would we go again?

The next morning we packed up quickly. Sam had another play in the park, which he loved, and we were on our way home.  

We had an amazing time. It’s such a great location if you want to visit the Centre of London or enjoy all the sights of Greenwich. The Airstream was fantastic, so luxurious with all mod cons. I’m a theatre addict so if we’re going to the West End again I will be checking the availability of these Airstreams.

We would mostly definitely come back here again. I could not recommend this location enough for a weekend away or a longer holiday glamping in London.

Where to stay: Glamping near London

If you’re looking for the perfect place to go glamping near London I can’t recommend Abbey Wood Club Site enough. There’s a choice of glamping accommodations available, including:

The Airstream Caravans

The Glamping Pods

The Camping Pods

Watch my vlog: Airstream Caravan Holiday Glamping near London

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